Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing professional nurses’ time management at a tertiary hospital campus in Limpopo Province South Africa and to make recommendations. A quantitative descriptive research design was used to describe the factors that influence professional nurses’ time management at a tertiary hospital in Limpopo Province. The population for this study consisted of all professional nurses employed at the tertiary hospital. Simple random sampling was used and respondents were selected alternatively until a sample size of 150 was reached. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire with open and closed- ended questions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. The study revealed that the hospital had policy guidelines which enabled professional nurses to provide quality patient care. The majority of professional nurses were able to prioritize their nursing actions when there was an emergency. Shortage of staff and working under pressure were also identified as factors that contributed to poor time management leading to poor nursing care. Delegated tasks were not completed and were carried over to the next shift. The study also found that the majority of professional nurses spend more time on unproductive nursing duties which included answering of phone calls, gossiping and socializing among themselves. It is recommended that in-service education programmes on time management should be instituted so as to improve patient care.